This entry is for a checklist on what to do and not to do on my next samgyetang.
My second try to make one here has enough filling, with the prepacked filling like dates, ginseng, and some dried stems, as well as the glutinous rice. I was able to solve the problem of keeping the stuffing inside by sewing it up a bit with the ginseng roots and tying up the chicken legs. Almost none spilled out!
It wasn't that perfect still though. I should have put more water, soaked the rice longer, and made sure that the rice is cooked. Also add the green onion or leeks as garnish and get myself a new container of black pepper. There are still two samgyetang days coming in a few weeks and two chicken waiting in the freezer. I'll get this right, with the ginseng flavor and all, soon.
Here are some links to some website articles related Samgyetang from the newspaper the Chosun Ilbo and the recipe from Maangchi's.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Samgyetang Day (part 1)
Eating hot chicken soup on a hot summer day! That's the Korean way. I still find it hard to comprehend. There is a special day for eating such and it's not only once in the summer but three times. I can't remember if anybody has ever mentioned this to me in the almost eleven years of being married to a Korean (who now claims to be an alien Korean) until a Korean ajumma mentioned it recently.
I learned that there's Chobok, Jungbok and Malbok. All three are called Sam(3)bok. Chobok turned out to be last Friday (July 19), Jungbok will be on the 28 and Malbok on the 7th of August this year following the Lunar calendar.
It's supposed to be eaten on a hot day but last Friday started out as a rainy day. The day they didn't really start very well with me. Somebody pop in our language class three days before that and mentioned about an activity involving samgyetang, Friday, and the time. Since I'm free on that day and curious to know more about the food, I signed up. I'm not sure who else signed up but I'm so going.
Rainy Friday morning came, we all woke up very late and I had to rush to go downtown. There were a group waiting at the lobby but I just said hi and went up to where I thought I was supposed to be. When some staff saw me climbing up the stairs, they were all as bewildered as me as to where I was going. They tried to find out why I was there, and the keyword that I was able to blurt out was Samgyetang! The staff had to call the person in-charge for the activity to inform them that there is one person coming still. I was, then, sent down to the lobby to join the group.
That's what happens when one signs up without exactly knowing what it's about! :D I haven't exactly figured out where we were headed even when we were herded to the cars to take us. Someone mentioned that maybe we will head to the next town, which I was almost not very keen on coz of distance and my carsickness. I was almost tempted to back out until the road finally looked like a different one. So I tried to get settled and brace myself for a crazy morning.
We managed to pass by a university that I had been quite curious to see for a while, discovered that the fields covered with black are ginseng, and wind through inner small back roads to get into our destination. The place turned out to be special house for sick people.
We got in through the kitchen, discarded our umbrellas and bags and went inside the dining hall. We made puchimgue, served food, helped out picking out the meats, ate our own lunch, cleaned up the dining area. There more than a dozen of ladies so the job of feeding more than a hundred people and cleaning up afterwards wasn't that hard.
I've noticed that there were special holders for the used stainless cups, automatic hand sanitizer that sprays hand sanitizer and all I needed was to wipe off well with a tissue and my hand is free from the oily chicken.
I was also able to see a well-functioning kitchen that has automatic cleaner for trays, bowls, and utensils. The food waste are removed right after one finish the food and puts the trays on a corner in the dining hall. The system goes like this: discard any leftover food in your food tray before parking it on the cart. Those trays will be rinsed off one more time before they are put separately into their own dishwashing machines later on. Once done through the machines, they are put back into trays to cool from the sterilization. Everything that were used to cook gets cleaned up and even the sinks were scrubbed well.
The day got me a chance to peek through the heart of the kitchen, give back some service to my adopted place and challenge myself to eat a small cornish chicken. I was also able to meet new people who turns out to be living in the same area. Chobok may have gotten me slightly sick from the rain, sweltering hot and car ride but it was cool.
Next entry will be how my own try at cooking samgyetang turns out.
I learned that there's Chobok, Jungbok and Malbok. All three are called Sam(3)bok. Chobok turned out to be last Friday (July 19), Jungbok will be on the 28 and Malbok on the 7th of August this year following the Lunar calendar.
It's supposed to be eaten on a hot day but last Friday started out as a rainy day. The day they didn't really start very well with me. Somebody pop in our language class three days before that and mentioned about an activity involving samgyetang, Friday, and the time. Since I'm free on that day and curious to know more about the food, I signed up. I'm not sure who else signed up but I'm so going.
Rainy Friday morning came, we all woke up very late and I had to rush to go downtown. There were a group waiting at the lobby but I just said hi and went up to where I thought I was supposed to be. When some staff saw me climbing up the stairs, they were all as bewildered as me as to where I was going. They tried to find out why I was there, and the keyword that I was able to blurt out was Samgyetang! The staff had to call the person in-charge for the activity to inform them that there is one person coming still. I was, then, sent down to the lobby to join the group.
That's what happens when one signs up without exactly knowing what it's about! :D I haven't exactly figured out where we were headed even when we were herded to the cars to take us. Someone mentioned that maybe we will head to the next town, which I was almost not very keen on coz of distance and my carsickness. I was almost tempted to back out until the road finally looked like a different one. So I tried to get settled and brace myself for a crazy morning.
We managed to pass by a university that I had been quite curious to see for a while, discovered that the fields covered with black are ginseng, and wind through inner small back roads to get into our destination. The place turned out to be special house for sick people.
We got in through the kitchen, discarded our umbrellas and bags and went inside the dining hall. We made puchimgue, served food, helped out picking out the meats, ate our own lunch, cleaned up the dining area. There more than a dozen of ladies so the job of feeding more than a hundred people and cleaning up afterwards wasn't that hard.
I've noticed that there were special holders for the used stainless cups, automatic hand sanitizer that sprays hand sanitizer and all I needed was to wipe off well with a tissue and my hand is free from the oily chicken.
I was also able to see a well-functioning kitchen that has automatic cleaner for trays, bowls, and utensils. The food waste are removed right after one finish the food and puts the trays on a corner in the dining hall. The system goes like this: discard any leftover food in your food tray before parking it on the cart. Those trays will be rinsed off one more time before they are put separately into their own dishwashing machines later on. Once done through the machines, they are put back into trays to cool from the sterilization. Everything that were used to cook gets cleaned up and even the sinks were scrubbed well.
The day got me a chance to peek through the heart of the kitchen, give back some service to my adopted place and challenge myself to eat a small cornish chicken. I was also able to meet new people who turns out to be living in the same area. Chobok may have gotten me slightly sick from the rain, sweltering hot and car ride but it was cool.
Next entry will be how my own try at cooking samgyetang turns out.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
I'm Psyched!
This past few weeks have turned out to be quite exciting after we have moved to our own place. In less than two weeks that we have moved, I finally got another challenge in store for me. I have the chance to start teaching again!
Almost 6 months since I've stopped preparing for a class and I am now back to it. But of course, my Korean language learning should still be my priority until I have passed a decent TOPIK level test in the near future. As for now, a good place to start is a one-on-one with a friend's son and a more challenging teenager's class who are all non-Koreans but Vietnamese and Chinese. Isn't that a very good challenge?
I have no idea what their levels are in terms of English except that they are also learning Korean like me now. I can only sigh and try to prepare more as I feel my way around in this somewhat different setting. But I like the challenge. I think I am more armed with knowledge and experience in teaching ESL now than before. I just have to review my notes, read a bit more to create my curriculum. What's the use of attending the Curriculum Development class of Ma'am G. if I can't write one now? :D I just love studying specially if you can use what you have learned in real life.
My other possible tutee will be up to my liking in a sense that it is in about the right age that I like to teach. I hope I can make a positive big difference in this kid's life even at his young age.
As for the possible income from these stints, it would be just enough to cover my fare and snack expenses. But it's alright. The Lord knows the proper timing better. I'll take things one at a time. I'll just have to remember to prioritize and still have time to study Korean until I've reached my goal.
Speaking of that goal, I got to go back to CUK now!
Independence Hall in Cheonan, South Korea
This year's children's day, our first one after coming back, has been a fun day trip to the Independence Hall in Cheonan. We've been thinking about that as one possible place to visit in the horizon. The perfect opportunity came around is the fun-filled activity day for kids on this year's Children's Day.
We were fortunate to have our Korean friends invite and enlist the kid up in the reservation to make sure that they will be included for the materials to be used. When I tried to inquire what activities are lined up from the site itself, I didn't get a lot of info as to the specifics. Our friend mentioned about flower puchim/jeon, mug painting but had wanted to know some more to figure out what we will possibly do for the day to no avail.
Nevertheless, we got there pretty much on time and were able to do lots of stuff. The kids were able to do the flower jeon, mugs, make the ddeok, play traditional games and other cool stuff. We went to see the exhibition hall 1 and 2 later in the afternoon. The kids weren't a big fan of the halls so the remaining 4 halls would have to pushed back to other future trips to the place. I've heard that it's a favorite field trip stop for students anyway.
We were fortunate to have our Korean friends invite and enlist the kid up in the reservation to make sure that they will be included for the materials to be used. When I tried to inquire what activities are lined up from the site itself, I didn't get a lot of info as to the specifics. Our friend mentioned about flower puchim/jeon, mug painting but had wanted to know some more to figure out what we will possibly do for the day to no avail.
Nevertheless, we got there pretty much on time and were able to do lots of stuff. The kids were able to do the flower jeon, mugs, make the ddeok, play traditional games and other cool stuff. We went to see the exhibition hall 1 and 2 later in the afternoon. The kids weren't a big fan of the halls so the remaining 4 halls would have to pushed back to other future trips to the place. I've heard that it's a favorite field trip stop for students anyway.
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